Ms. Susan J. Irwin
President, Irwin Communications, Inc.

Susan J. Irwin is President and Principal Consultant of Irwin Communications, Inc., a consulting, market research and strategic communications firm which she founded in 1985. Since then, Ms Irwin has led the company in providing consulting services to hundreds of major corporations worldwide. The company’s clients include satellite and telecom service providers, hardware and software manufacturers, broadcasters and government and enterprise end users. Ms. Irwin’s expertise spans the breadth of satellite applications and markets, which include: fixed and mobile satellite services, direct-to-home services, distance learning, VSATs, business television, and satellite broadband.

Ms. Irwin is also the Conference Chair of SATCON, Satellite Application and Content Delivery Conference and Expo, a position she has held for four consecutive years, since its inception in 2002.

Prior to founding Irwin Communications, Ms. Irwin held a number of key positions in the satellite industry. Her satellite career began in 1977 when she was a consultant on the Appalachian Regional Satellite Project, the precursor to The Learning Channel. Then, as a telecommunications policy analyst with NTIA, she managed the Satellite Applications Program, which stimulated the use of the newly launched commercial satellites for delivery of distance education, corporate communications and training in the US and in developing countries.

Subsequent to her tenure at NTIA, Ms. Irwin was a member of two start up teams. The National Information Utilities Corporation developed a data distribution system for delivery of educational programming using satellites and FM subcarriers.† Private Satellite Network, Inc. pioneered the satellite business television industry.

Ms. Irwin is widely published and a frequent speaker at satellite, telecommunications and broadcasting conferences throughout the world.† She is also a co-founder and Director Emeritus of the Society of Satellite Professionals International, Chairperson of the Global VSAT Forum’s Broadband Multimedia Working Group, and on the Board of Directors of the Arthur C. Clarke Foundation.

Ms. Irwin received her B.A. from Ohio University, and was granted an M.A. in Education from San Francisco State University.